Marker for corn-planters.



J. C. GILLESPIE.

MARKER FOR CORN PLANTERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1914.

1101,`6^27 Patented June 3o, 1914.

10G/Meme JOHN G. GILLESPIE, OF LOS'IANT, ILLINOIS.

MARKER FOR CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 3d, 1914.

Application le. March 11, 1914. Serial No. 824,016.

To all whom tt may conce/m Be it known that I, JOHN C. GILLnsrin, citizen of the United States, residing at Lostant, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Markers for Corn- Planters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved marker for corn planters and similar agricultural machines and has for its primary object to provide improved means for easily and quickly positioning the marker foot or blade upon either side of the machine, when the same is turned at the end of the field.

The invention has for another and more particular obj ect to provide improved means for mounting the marker arm including a bar fulcrumed intermediate of its ends and connected to a lever for lifting the front or runner frame to elevate the planting boots out of the ground, a driven gear, a marker arm mounted in said bar and provided with rack teeth which are engaged with said gear when the lever is shifted to elevate the planting boots, and driving gears arranged upon opposite sides of the driven gear and automatically shifted alternately into engagement therewith as the marker is moved from one side to the other of the machine.

The invention has for a further general object to improve and simplify the construction of devices of the above character whereby the operator is relieved of considerable manual labor and the durability and elficiency of such machines in operation greatly increased.

Vith the above and other objects in view as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consist-s in certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of the parts that l shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a corn planter provided with my improved marker; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5

designates a frame preferably of rectangular form which is loosely supported for vertical tilting movement upon a wheel axle 6. Upon opposite ends of this wheel axle, the ground wheels 7 are mounted.

8 indicates a lever which is fulcrumed as at 9 upon the main frame of the machine. This lever is connected in the usual manner as indicated at 10 to the forward runner carrying frame, and is provided with a locking dog for engagement with the teeth of a rack segment 11. The lower pivotally mounted end of the lever S is provided with a bar 18 which is fixed or integrally formed at one of its ends upon said lever. The rear end of the bar 13 is curved downwardly as shown and upon the same a collar 15 is pivotally mounted as at 16. Tn this collar the marker arm or rod 17 is slidably mounted and is provided upon its opposite ends with marker blades or disks indicated at 18. Tt will be noted that this rod 17 is provided upon its lower side with a longitudinal series of rack teeth'19 the purpose of which will be later fully explained. Upon a stub shaft or arbor Q0 mounted in the rear end ofthe machine frame, a peripherally toothed gear 2l is journaled. This gear is also provided with an annular series of teeth 22 upon its rear face.

23 designates a pair of alined transversely disposed shafts mounted in suitable bearings on the frame the inner ends of said shafts being provided with pinions 24 adapted to mesh with the teeth 22 upon the face of the gear 2O at diametrically opposite points. These pinions are keyed upon the respective shafts 23 for sliding movement. Upon the outer ends of each of the shafts 23 a sprocket wheel 25 is fixed and is connected by a chain 26 to a larger sprocket wheel 27 secured upon the wheel shaft 6 adjacent each end thereof. Thus, in the movement of the machine over the field, rotation is constantly being transmitted to the shafts 23.

.29 designates a transversely disposed lever having arms 2S formed upon its ends and each provided at its extremity with a yoke for engagement with a collar 30, provided upon the respective gearsQl.

From the foregoing description of the construction and arrangement of the several parts, the operation of the device will be understood as follows: Assuming that the operator is driving across the field with the marker extending upon the right hand side of the machine, when the end of the eld is reached, thelever 8 is shifted to oscillate t-he frame 5 and lift the seed depositing boots out of the ground. This movement of the lever 8 lowers the rearwardly extending bar 13, said bar in turn forcing the inner end of the marker arm or rod 1( downwardly so that its teeth willl engage upon the peripheral teeth of the gear 21. In the turning movement of the machine, the left hand pinion 24EV being engaged with the teeth 22 on the face ofthe gear 21, said gear is rotated' to shift the marker rod 17 to the left, and thus extend the blade 18 from the left hand side of the machine so that when the movement ofthe lever 8 is reversed, and the rodl 1-3 moved upwardly, the marker will be forced downwardly into engagement with the ground. It will be understood, that in this shifting movement of the marker rod 17, when the same reaches its extreme position, ayprojection 31 on the right hand end thereofl will engage with the trip lever 28 and move the same to shift the left hand pinion 24:. out of engagement with the gear 21 and the right hand pinion 2li into engagement with the teeth 22 on said gear. In this manner, it willbe seen that the direction of rotation of the gear 21 is automatically reversed so thatwhen the opposite end of the iield is reached, and the rod or arm 17 again lowered into engagement with the peripheral teeth of said gear, itv will vbe shifted t0 the opposite side of the machine in the manner above explained. To the opposite ends ofthe marker arm 17, the ends of a wire or cable 82 aresecured. This cable passes around guide sheaves or rollers 33 mounted upon the transversely disposedhopper carryingframe adjacent the opposite ends thereof.

This cable is providedfor the purpose ofYL relieving the marker armA of undue strain as 1t is moved; transversely by the shifting mechanism above described.

From the foregoing description taken in Having thus described the invention, what.

isclaimed is:

1. The combination with a planting machine including` aV frame mounted for vertical tilting movementand-a lever to actuate the same, of a transversely shiftable marker arm, a bar connectedl to said lever and extending rearwardlyv therefroma support for said-arm mountedupon said bar, and means positively operated from the wheelv axle of the machine to shift said arm transversely ineither direction and extend the marker from opposite sides thereof.

2. The combination with a planting ma- ,chine including; a frame and a wheel axle Vupon which said frame is mounted for vertical tilting movement, a lever for tilting said frame, of a rearwardly extending bar connected. to saidv lever, a transversely shiftable marker arm, a support for said arm mounted upon the rear end ofl said bar, said arm being provided with rack teeth, a gear wheel. mounted upon the machine frame, the teeth on said arm being disposed in engagement with the teeth of said gear when the lever is shifted to tilt the machine frame, and independently shiftable pinions driven from the wheel 'axle and alternately shifted into and out of driving engagement with said gear in the shifting movement of the marker to opposite sides of the machine whereby the rotation of said gear is reversed, to reverse the movement of the marker arm upon asubsequent engagement ofthe teethvthereon with said gear.

3. The combination with a planting machineincludinga wheel axle, a frame loosely mounted thereon, alever for tilting said frame, of a rearwardly extending bar fixed to said-lever, a transversely shiftable-marker varm mounted upon the rear end of said bar,

a gear mounted upon the machine frame, spaced transverseshafts mounted in the frame and driven from the wheel axle, pin ions keyed upon said shafts, and' a lever mounted upon the frame and connected to said pinions toy shift the same, saidI marker arm being-provided with rack teeth adapted for engagement with the teeth ofE said' gear when the lever is shifted in one direction whereby the marker arm is moved to the opposite side of said frame, the marker on one end of said arm being` adapted to engage the lever connected to said pinions and shift the pinions in opposite directions upon their respective shafts and alternately engage the same with said gear to reverse the rotation of the latter.

4. The combination withA a plantingy machineincluding a wheel axle, and a frame loosely mounted thereon,ra lever for tilting said frame, of a rearwardly extending bar fixed to said lever, aA support pivotally mounted in said bar, a transversely movable marker arm mounted in said support and provided with raclr teeth, a gear-mounted: upon the machine frame, spaced transverse shafts mounted in the frame, driving connections betweensaid shafts and? the wheel axle, pinions leyedupon saidishafts,

the marker arm and; having teeth on one facefor engagement by saidpinions at diametrically opposite points, andi a pivotally mounted lever connected to said pinions, whereby7 when the frame tilting lever is shifted, said marker arm is lowered to engage the rack teeth thereof with the peripheral teeth of the gear and shift said arm to the opposite side of the machine, the marker on said arm engaging said last named lever to shift one of the pinions out of engagement with said gear and the other pinion into engagement with the same, whereby the direction of rotation of the gear is reversed, so that the movement of the marker arm is reversed when the same is subsequently lowered.

5. The combination with a planting machine including a frame mounted for vertical tilting movement and a lever to actu-ate the same, of a transversely shiftable marker arm, a bar connected to said lever and extending rearwardly therefrom, a support for said arm mounted upon said bar, a flexible element connected to opposite ends of the rod, guides for said element on the machine frame, and means positively operated from the wheel axle of the machine to shift said arm transversely in either direction and extend the marker upon opposite sides thereof.

6. The combination with a planting machine including a frame mounted for ver tical tilting movement and a lever to ac tuate the same, of a transversely shiftable marker arm, a bar connected to said lever and extending rearwardly therefrom, a support for said arm mounted upon said bar, a flexible element secured at its ends to the opposite ends of said arm, spaced guide rollers for said flexible element mounted upon the machine frame, and means to shift said arm transversely in either direction and extend the marker upon opposite sides of the machine.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. GILLESPIE.

Witnesses:

HENRY SHAWBACK, GUY L. BARBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C. 

